This invention relates to apparatus and methods for treating air with ozone. More specifically, this invention relates to apparatus and methods for automatically purifying and deodorizing air by adding ozone to air handling systems.
Many attempts have been made to reduce offensive odors and infectious agents in enclosed spaces. The methods include disinfecting agents, odor masking agents, activated chemical filters and oxidants. Ozone is a well known oxidant. Ozone, or O.sub.3, is an allotropic form of oxygen produced from air or other gasses containing oxygen by passage of a stream of such gasses through a high voltage electrical discharge. The benefits of ozone are well known and include the destruction of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms on contact and reduction in unpleasant odors.
Various apparatus and methods have been proposed for using ozone to purify ambient air. In general, the ozone generators have taken two forms. In a first form, the generators comprise a portable unit, which is readily moved from room to room. In a second form, the generators have been included in air handling systems and operate on a passive basis which is controlled by the operation of the air handling system.
An example of the first type includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,844. U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,844 discloses a portable apparatus which treats ambient air in an enclosed space with ozone. The shorting coming of such invention includes its ability to treat only a limited portion of the ambient air within a limited area of an enclosed space.
Examples of the second type of apparatus include U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,765 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,268. The limitation of these references includes their passive nature. Each system effectively treats ambient air only when the air handling system is activated by the thermostat for heating or cooling.
Thus, a need remains for air purification systems and methods that utilize ozone which effectively purifies enclosed air.